If you have wiggly primary kids, adding in some movement is a great way to keep them actively engaged during singing time! Many children learn by moving! They are often more likely to retain the information when they get to DO something.
For a simple way to incorporate movement into your singing time plans this month, try this I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching idea! March along to the beat as you review I Want to Be a Missionary Now (archives).
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching
This movement activity is great because there is no specific pattern to follow. I’ve created printable cards with shapes or directions to march in as you sing. Just switch shapes throughout to keep your primary kids engaged!
This idea can be used to review any of the 3 verses of this song. Before introducing this activity, start by reviewing the first verse of I Want to Be a Missionary Now flip chart.
Then, have everyone stand up! When you are a missionary, you do lots of walking! Today, we’re going to be like missionaries and march as we sing.
You’ll want to have a little bit of wiggle room, so have the children space themselves out a bit. Start by simply marching in place. Have the pianist begin playing the song and invite the children to join in by singing.
Then, mix things up by holding one of the shape cards in the air. A simple shape to start with is a circle. Can you march in a circle? How about a square?
Continue switching shapes throughout the song while you practice. This is a great way to get in lots of repetition while still keeping the kids engaged!
While this may seem a little too easy, there are lots of fun ways to adapt this activity to make it more challenging for older primary kids! Following along with the shapes may be challenging enough for younger primary children. Check out our extension ideas below for some additional ways to spice up this activity!
Easy Directional Marching Shapes:
I’ve created 8 simple shape cards to use along with this directional marching activity! There are a few different ways to create these shapes as you march. One way is to always face the front of the room. Simply move your feet to create these shapes.
Another way you could create these shapes is by creating them with your entire body. For example, if you are marching in a circle, turn your entire body around as you march as opposed to just creating the shape with your feet.
Here’s a list of the shapes included in the free printable for this activity. Be sure to grab the printable cards later in this post to give your primary kids a visual to follow.
- Circle
- Triangle
- Square or Rectangle
- Pentagon
- March Right
- March Left
- March straight, then turn around (U Shape)
- Zig Zag
Which of these shapes will you be using for this activity?
Extension Activities:
- Create a simple pattern using 2-3 shapes. Assign a shape to span across 2 lines or make it a quick pattern with one shape per line.
- Follow the Leader! Have a child come up and be in charge of choosing the shapes. Have them lead the class for one verse, then pick a new leader!
- Switch directions as you sing! Or do opposites: Right and Left, Forward and Back
- Cut out the shape cards and place them in a hat or bowl. Have a child come up and pick a shape card. Create that shape while you march, then pick a new shape!
For another fun similar activity, head over to see this Book of Mormon Stories Directional Movement singing time activity!
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching Demonstration Video
Want some extra practice? I’ve created this directional marching demo video to give you a quick tutorial of how to use these shape cards for this movement activity. In this video, I’ll demonstrate a few different shapes you can create as you march and show you a few different ways to use this activity!
–> I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching Demo Video <–
I Want to Be a Missionary Now Directional Marching Printable Song Helps
This free in-post printable includes 8 colorful shape cards to use along with this directional marching activity!
Join INSTANT Primary Singing for extended printables including 4 more marching directions, marching commands, full page cards and black and white printables. You’ll find these bonus files included when I Want to Be a Missionary Now is the featured song of the month.
To access the free in-post printables for this post, you’ll just need to create a free account or login with the Grow.me tool. Then, confirm by email and refresh the page and ALL my free printables will automatically unlock in every post!
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For another fun way to review this song, check out this I Want to Be a Missionary Now Rhythm Sticks activity!
What other fun ways will you use this directional marching singing time activity in your Primary room?
